TKR 6 weeks post op

PT should never cause pain. Please do not let anyone force your knee. Sounds like you should quit with this PT. Forcing your knee is totally counterproductive. Please focus on ice and elevation and stop all this exercise. It is causing more problems than benefit.

And no - your knee should not be buckling.
Thank you
 
I agree with Jaycey. Your knee is less than 3 weeks old and is far from being healed. Not only do you have the outside incision to heal, you have many layers inside that need to knit together. Forcing your knee to bend more than it's able to do on its own is pulling against all those stitches inside, possibly even pulling them apart. Forcing it causes more swelling which decreases your bend. A swollen knee doesn't bend as well as a non-swollen knee does. Gentle movements that you do on your own is the best way to rehab this knee of yours.
Closing stitches
Thank you. I’m finding I’m having more issues each time after PT. All she does is ice for 5 push and bend till I can’t take anymore measure and send me on my way in and out in 20 min
 
Thank you. I’m finding I’m having more issues each time after PT. All she does is ice for 5 push and bend till I can’t take anymore measure and send me on my way in and out in 20 min
Icing for only 5 minutes is pointless. It won't do any good at all. She shouldn't be pushing on your knee at all. That's bad for it. That's all bad PT.
No PT at all is better than bad PT, so I think you should stop going there.
It's you knee and you are the only one with the right to say what happens to it.
Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

You can ice and elevate at home. PT like that is bad PT and no PT at all is better than bad PT.
Your knee will get all the exercise it needs right now, just as you move around the house and do your normal activities of daily living. When you feel a bit better, you can either try different PT facility, or you can try these exercises, which are the only ones you really need:
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
 
Thank you. I’m finding I’m having more issues each time after PT. All she does is ice for 5 push and bend till I can’t take anymore measure and send me on my way in and out in 20 min
Icing for only 5 minutes is pointless. It won't do any good at all. She shouldn't be pushing on your knee at all. That's bad for it. That's all bad PT.
No PT at all is better than bad PT, so I think you should stop going there.
It's you knee and you are the only one with the right to say what happens to it.
Saying no to therapy - am I allowed to?

You can ice and elevate at home. PT like that is bad PT and no PT at all is better than bad PT.
Your knee will get all the exercise it needs right now, just as you move around the house and do your normal activities of daily living. When you feel a bit better, you can either try different PT facility, or you can try these exercises, which are the only ones you really need:
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
Wow!! I just looked those up and it’s complete opposite of what my PT says to do!! I’m definitely looking into another PT
 
Some therapists seem to be stuck in the dark ages when it comes to joint recovery. We are finding that the ones with the latest training are doing the gentle, non-forcing movements. Yes, please do find a new PT or don't take it at all. You really don't have to. I never did.
 
Unfortunately sleep problems are a part of this recovery. Nap during the day if you can.

Are you taking your pain medication at night? You might want to try magnesium for those spasms. Here's an article from our Library: Magnesium is a star.
ROM is very slow going almost 3 weeks post op and only at 78.
Please don't worry about ROM. It will happen when your knee is ready. And you might want to stop the exercises and let that knee heal. Still very early days for you.
Been taking magnesium for 3 days. Hasn’t settled the spasms. Still pulling all nighters
 
@Namaof2 I occasionally get leg cramps, mainly in my non operated leg, I find eating a banana every day helps, there is a great source of natural magnesium in Bananas.
I was fortunate that my surgeon/PT team had the view that little exercise was all the knee needed to get back to normal, infact I only started doing any exercises almost two weeks after surgery, when I did outpatients PT, it was only once a week and mainly to use the cpm machine which I loved.
I'm now 1 year post surgery, I don't even think about my Rom and am able to do most things, including hiking up in the mountains, but it took time, patience and positivity, I followed the guidelines, I iced for 45 minutes several times a day, I rested loads and elevated too, soon normality will return and you'll be wishing for those relaxing days :heehee: if, sleep prevails you, chat or give reassurance to others here on BoneSmart, watch movies or read a book, if this disturbs your partner at night .. if possible take another room, my husband got banned from the bedroom for nearly 6 months :rotfl: but in turn he got a good night sleep and I was able to read, chat on BoneSmart and put light on and off whenever I felt like it.
Hang in there - life will get better - sending you a virtual hug from Portugal :friends:
 
Thank you. I’ve never had issues with cramps or spasms until now. I’ve been taking magnesium for a week and here i am still up at 4am not able to sleep. I’m not getting leg cramps it’s more spasms. I’ve tried everything I can think of. I’m just so tired
 
Almost 6 weeks post op ROM and extension suck 80 & -10. Surgeon not pleased at all. Been doing exercises consistently at home. PT doesn’t do anything but measure. Surgeon says I need aggressive therapy 3x week or I’ll have to get a manipulation
Sleep still not going well either
 
@Namaof2
:welome: to BoneSmart. You are at such early days to be worrying about extension or Rom, let your poor knee heal first, once swelling has gone and the inner parts have settled, this will all improve, all that is happening right now is that by excessive PT you are creating a catch 22, in this recovery TIME is the essence.

Please let us know which knee and date of your surgery.
 
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Surgeon says I need aggressive therapy 3x week or I’ll have to get a manipulation
Rubbish! Aggressive PT is counterproductive. Ice and elevate to get the swelling under control. Your ROM will come when the swelling is down.

And no, you do not have to have MUA. It's your knee and you decide what happens. Just politely decline and discussion of MUA.
 
For many of us aggressive “therapy” is the worst thing we can do. It does not allow our knee to heal, instead it increases pain, swelling and inflammation, all of which prevent our ROM from improving.

6 weeks is still such early days in this 52 week (one year) recovery.

I‘m sorry your surgeon is so impatient. But that doesn’t mean you have to agree with him. That’s only his opinion. He cannot do an MUA without you signing a consent form, so the final decision is actually yours.

Spend more time resting, elevating your leg, and icing (be sure to have a cloth between your skin and the cold source) and give your knee time to sort itself out. It will, but it takes time.

Regaining our ROM is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all
along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.
 

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